The Magic of Shinobi
by xYama-chanx
Summary: Magic is the same as chakra in a ninja's perspective. Well, Team 7 has been sent on a mission to protect and escort the well-famous 'Chosen One', Harry Potter, with dangers everywhere of blowing their cover. Can they manage to accomplish it? " Idiot!"-H.S
1. Prologue

**Oh my goodness gosh! XD So I pretty much discovered I left this story untouched for an unbelievable 2 YEARS! And I happened to stumble upon this old fic while managing stories and dang...I have this sudden urge to continue it. I mean, it was a _Harry Potter _and _Naruto crossover_! And I just watched HP 7 Part II in the theaters and...oh, I cried. A lot! I can't believe it's done, wah D'X I grew up with them! They were so magical! Well, it's true all good things come to an end. **

**Anyways, I decided to improve and change some bits in the plot. I added a prologue, so it's hopefully more clear to all you readers about the mission Team 7 have to accept in the future XD. And yes, the first HP character here is somebody I never knew was a double-agent for both sides until the 6th book! I'm pretty sure you can guess who it was ;D Also...yes, in my story Sasuke returns and is put on strict probation measures blah blah blah, hehe. It'll be explained in later chapters. Anyways I don't want to leave the Uchiha out! He's one of my faves [[';**

**AH, LONG AUTHOR'S NOTE! So sorry! And my computer's finally working (YES! Arigatou Kami!) so I can FINALLY update the long awaited chapters and write the rest of things! Enjoy :3 Ask me questions if you want by reviewing.**

**Xyama-chan xoxo p.s Naruto is my specialty hehe, 'cause I've never been into Harry Potter for a long time so I apologize if HP events or objects etc. are wrong or unprecise ahah. Important: this is set before Harry's 5th year: pre-OTP. Naruto and company are his age, 15-16 :) They attend 5th year with him. OK enough info ^_^**

* * *

**~Prologue~**

It was almost dusk, and a small sliver of blue-white light erupted between the trees, with a slight popping noise distracting Konohagakure's guards on duty. They immediately snapped to attention. Who could possibly be visiting, or even planning to invade the Hidden Leaf Village at this hour?

A tug in their minds hoped this wasn't the hooded figure's intentions as it strode closer to the massive red gates of Konoha, amazingly gliding with every step. It was quite tall; Genma watched it warily. The way its' feet touched the ground seemed like as if the figure was floating, but a sudden glimpse of its' closed-toe black shoes beneath the long cloak told him otherwise. _He or she must be a foreigner...in _robes_._

The hooded form's face was still shadowed, so they couldn't determine whether it was a male or female. But as soon as it spoke, the condescending deep tone involuntarily sent a shiver down the shinobi's spines. "I mean no harm." _He's a man, alright...and he can't be _English_! That's _impossible: _crossing the boundaries of the Elemental Countries from somewhere else!_

Genma emerged from the guardhouse within the gates, his hand poised atop a couple of kunai as his comrades stood behind him, alert and surprised at such an arrival, while some of them struggled to accept the fact that he _was_ indeed a foreigner. "Who are you and why are you here? State your name," Genma strictly told him—in rapid Japanese. _Well, it's not like he can understand me._

The cloaked man still did not reveal his face, and a twitch of annoyance crossed Genma's features. But, to their utmost shock, the ninja was certain that a raw amount of chakra pulsated from their visitor as he stood before them.

Genma's eyes widened, surprised and amazed. It was _simply _dubious for a foreigner to possess this much chakra flow...and the question was if he is indeed a foreigner or—someone more. His hands were now grasped around a trio of shuriken, waiting for him to strike.

The man did not budge either, but his lips moved. "I am Severus Snape, a representative of, ahem, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

The pack of shinobi stood, appalled. Had he just spoken _Japanese_, with so little of an accent they didn't expect? Genma exchanged amazed glances with them, and looked back, adamant, at this Severus Snape. _He can speak, alright. What if he's using a translating jutsu? _No_, that's impossible._

"_Hog-uw-atsu _School?" The name itself sounded odd on Genma's lips, and his fellow ninjas murmured the name over and over as well to themselves, but they didn't let their guard down. He just might happen to be an infiltrator, or worse.

"Yes, Hogwarts. And I believe your _Hokage_, Tsunade Senju, accepted our request to borrow some of—your fire country's—shinobi for a quite hazardous mission," Snape explained, face still concealed beneath the black hood, although his monotonous tone scared the guards a bit.

Genma was moved at the mention of their Godaime. How come she never notified them of this important guest?

"A mission?"

"Yes," Severus replied, his tone slightly irritated now. _Is it _this_ challenging to converse with these...ninja?_

"It is a mission to protect a boy. And he is not merely any boy. His existence currently affects our world-and if left untreated, will involve yours."

Izumo pursed his lips alongside Genma, his inky eyebrows knit together and trying to comprehend what the foreigner said, yet the way Genma stared at him was if as Snape was an alien._ A boy, eh? And his existence 'affects their world'. That boy's somewhat like Naruto, if you ask me._

"I see," Izumo said in Japanese, stepping in for a dumfounded Genma and curtly nodding his head at Severus_. _Although it might seem albeit childish, Izumo wanted to, in fact, test this translating jutsu theory_. _Besides that, Genma's reaction to it wasn't quite surprising, to say the least.

"You want to meet the Hokage?" Izumo questioned, slightly uneasy at his turn to confront the strange man as he unconsciously grabbed the hilt of his small katana. He spoke in native tongue once again at Snape. Genma and Konoha's guards waited, holding in tense breaths.

"Yes." Seeing that attempting to explain was becoming very difficult, Severus instead cleared his throat and bowed, to Izumo's utmost surprise.

"It's true, he can understand us," Izumo murmured to his comrades in a tone barely audible to human ears. Genma spluttered incoherent words back at Izumo, his head swiveling to Snape and back again.

"May I please be taken to Tsunade at once? Time, as they say, flies by endearingly fast and I do not want to waste it. My world is bent on this mission," Snape finally stated with a little snarl, undoubtedly making them realize this mission was dreadfully important. _Such incompetent fools. I should have apparated into the village complex itself if these ninja doubt to let me in and I simply cannot hex them._

Genma, sensing their visitor's growing distress, forced the gates open with loud creaks against the scolding of Izumo and the rest of the guards. He looked at them with an exhausted eye. "We have to let Severus-san in! Hokage-sama ordered it," he snapped at them, beckoning Snape to enter the grounds to the strong disagreement of the ninja behind him. As he glided among the ground, he couldn't bring himself to shut out the shouts of the guards in quick Japanese. _An advantage of the translation charm, I see._

"NO, what the HELL are you _doing_? We can't risk letting some foreigner like him into the village! What if he's an assassin? A rogue nin? Or worse, _Akatsuki_-"

She emphasized the name of the criminal ninja organization venomously, expressing her dislike at the murdering group of blood-hungry runaway shinobi that were, and still are, never satisfied with the number of bijuu they have already captured. Still on the crisp hunt for Naruto, Konoha's Jinchuuriki-not to mention what a pain in the _ass_ it was in protecting the teen-the Akatsuki are hoping they could finally complete their purpose once they get their hands on him, but the blonde Uzumaki was _not_ even close to being considered safe until these criminals were wiped out. Well, they've failed with their attacks on many levels anyways...with help from the Konoha 11.

Katsuya, however, was cut off from her rushed argument by a furious Genma.

"-This Severus-san strictly said he's here on Hokage-sama's orders! Do you seriously want us to get whooped in the ass if we don't bring him to her-"

"I give up. I agree with Genma, Katsuya. His chakra signature contains no intentions of harming us. And he is not any of what you said he could be-"

"How can you be so sure,_ Izumo_-" Katsuya spat, her dark-yellow eyes glowing in deep distaste. _These idiots have no idea who they're dealing with!_

"We know, we know, shinobi can't risk the safety of the villagers for just one person. But think about it, will you? Ugh, Katsuya, you never accept things like this-"

"_Enough_, Izumo." Genma shot them both a dirty glare. "I don't care if we're fired because of letting in Severus-san; you can start blaming me once he pierces Tsunade-sama in the neck, which I highly doubt, so quit your bickering,_ tonkatsu_-"

"WHAT did you call me?"

Snape tuned out the heated debate between them and focused on the rather huge radius of land the village took up.

If he should say so himself, the wizard was also quite amazed at the massive size of the Fire Country's dense, thick walls of stone and brick, proving that this shinobi place was truly powerful, and the reverberating sensations of magic that seemed to come from the center of the village impressed Snape, yet confused him at the same time.

_Ninjas possibly cannot have _magic_ at their expense, or very much have heard about magic! Then why do I sense extraordinary amounts of it here? _Indeed, Severus was briefed to attend to the Hokage by Dumbledore as soon as possible, but it didn't mean he couldn't observe the origins of the village while at it. He was a guest here, and guests, he assumed, were treated in a generous and hospitable way.

* * *

Snape was escorted down a carpeted circular hallway adorned with unfurled scrolls of various kinds that were scrawled over with black kanji (Chinese characters borrowed by the Japanese, he recalled), and kept his demeanor calm and serious. The dim candlelight accompanying the hallway and casting shadows on the uneven walls were enough to supply his eyesight, therefore he _did_ consider the fact that lumos was not necessary here. _Yet how do these ninja see in such environments like this?_

Severus' ears caught the continuous shuffle of Izumo and Genma, they were called, behind him. He was introduced to the two ninja succeeding their petty squabbles about whether it was alright or not to let him inside the village at Konoha's gates, and were they ever so watchful of him. Had they not understood his spoken permission?

Izumo quietly piped up, muttering in Japanese once again to Genma, and little did they know Snape was listening in, the translation spell serving its' purpose for the fourth time.

"I know I asked you this already, but are you _sure_ Severus-san's harmless? I mean, look at those black robes he wears-"

"YEAH I'm sure, Izumo, jeez, you really are the persistent one. Are you _that_ fidgety about seeing a foreigner here in the Elemental Countries for the first time in your life?" Genma's voice had an air of taunting, much to Izumo's irritation.

Izumo, on the other hand, trailed off, rendered speechless for once. And this satisfied Genma, to Snape's amusement. _It shouldn't be hard for me to tell the stubborn fools I am _not _dangerous._

"You two are _so_ difficult to convince. I am not whom your fellow ninja Katsuya suggests I might be: a missing ninja, an assassin, or a member of your so-feared Akatsuki, if I'm correct. I'm a servant of one of Konoha's outermost country allies and old friends, Albus Dumbledore, if that is not enough to believe, as well. Do you want me to demonstrate for you, perhaps?" Snape drawled in yet again Japanese free of an accent, his back turned to the escorts as they continued to walk soundlessly towards the Hokage's office.

Of course, Snape wouldn't actually demonstrate what he truly was and what he is capable of, but that was simply added for persuasion.

His sudden outburst of an insanely scary tone threw Genma and Izumo off-guard as they said nothing, and Severus sensed their extreme embarrassment. Not a moment later, Genma spoke to him...in Japanese. _He understands me, so why bother speaking English? What a pain._

"Oh, _gomenasai_, Severus-san! Forgive us for doubting your identity, it's just...we never had a foreign guest like you set foot in the Fire Country, and _some of us_-," he hastily explained, looking pointedly at his comrade and bowing profusely as Izumo stared at him in disgust. _Does he mean me?_"-some of us were just shocked at your..._unexpected_ arrival, Severus-san."

A heavy, awkard silence circulated around the three as they stopped to a halt not a moment later in front of huge mahogany doors. Snape did not bother to reply, for they have finally accepted he posed no threat to the village, and scrutinized the entrance instead.

"This must be your Hokage's headquarters."

"Yes, Severus-san." Izumo swiftly rapped on the doors at Snape's side, patiently waiting for an acknowledgement of their presence, but what irked the wizard was the way Izumo watched the door in what seemed like fright, as if disturbing the Hokage with a respectable knock would lead to their deaths. Genma stiffly stood there as well, sweat brimming upon his forehead and tensely straightening his posture. _That is unreasonable._

Izumo knocked again, this time with more force._  
_

"WHAT?" A loud, hoarse and surprisingly female shout erupted from within, causing Genma and Izumo to jump. Clearly, here in the Elemental Countries, women were deemed as capable of powerful positions, which was not so common back home.

Snape was merely indifferent (the translation/language charm he casted wasn't set to wear off until a day, so he had no problems with that), although he had expected the leader of the village to at least be a man, therefore it would most likely be easier to explain. He had enough runs already from countless oral arguments with McGonagall and Trelawney back in Britain...not to mention the insolent Umbridge, and this Tsunade Senju had sounded _very_ tough, indeed.

"U-uh, Severus-san is here, Tsunade-sama...the visitor sent by _Dumbudoru_-sama?" Genma stuttered from outside the door, trying out the name of this Dumbledore ally on his tongue as well; the name was obviously foreign, as much as Snape was foreign. Duh.

"Severus-san? OH yes, *_ni kuru_," Tsunade replied, less harshly this time, and exhaling a breath, Izumo and Genma pushed the wooden doors open. Before him, seated on a rather formal and presentable desk littered with colorful scrolls and a bundle of papers was a pale-skinned woman, her long sandy-blonde hair cascading down her back in a thick pigtail while bangs swayed on either sides of her face.

Inwardly, Snape gaped, with much maturity. He hadn't expected their Hokage to be so young (**A/N: okay hahaha he doesn't know she's over 50! XD**), or better yet, look as if she was a civilian, but the build of her surpisingly lean and strong body told him otherwise, including the tiny diamond studded on the center of her forehead, whatever the purpose of that was. _It must be a diamond religion-wise, like the Muslims, but I cannot be sure, of course. _Her eyes were a fiery honey-brown, observant and aware of everything surrounding her; right now they were fixed on Severus.

What indicated that Tsunade was truly the Hokage, however, was the thick green robe she wore, similar to a jacket, but longer and almost as light as a robe as it billowed around her ankles, especially the demeanor of _authority_ she held in that professional stance of hers: calm, collected and unfazed. The gentle breeze blew into the room from the number of square windows cut into the walls of the circular office, and only then did Snape notice that the office was flanked by towering bookcases on either side of him, housing more scrolls and flyaway papers._ I assume those are the villages' documents of some sort._

The room was lit by an acceptable lightbulb overhead, and Izumo and Genma stood motionless by the door. The day was waning pretty quickly, and so Severus resolved to make the crucial explanation quick.

"I am Severus Snape, Tsunade-sama, and I am here to discuss plans with you about a mission involving a boy from our world: the outermost countries, on a request from your ally Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am his messenger, servant and acquaintance," he told her, bowing reverently and awaiting her consent on the matter.

Tsunade pursed her bright-red lips, and she swiftly glanced down at an open scroll in front of her, seeming to read what was most likely details on the mission. She looked back at him in pure interest, and whether or not she was surprised that Snape had the knowledge to speak their native tongue without so much trouble, she sure did not show it. Unbeknownst to Tsunade, he was using a translation charm-_magical_ means.

"Oh yes, Albus-san wanted our help, am I correct?"

"Yes," Snape nodded, pushing his hood back to reveal his face in what seemed like an eternity before he had done so. The guards let out gasps, but Tsunade, he noted, was superbly excellent in keeping emotions to herself. _Of course, she is the leader of the fire country._

"He kindly asks to borrow your specialized shinobi, Tsunade-sama, and if he could recruit them, by all means, as escorts, and most importantly, as protectors, of a young teenage wizard who goes by the name of Harry Potter."

Tsunade paused for a while, deep in thought. She had heard somewhat from Dumbledore years before about this Harry boy. If she recalled correctly, both of his parents, who were wonderfully intelligent pure wizards as well (besides the mother) were murdered by a 'dark wizard', Voldemort (this Voldemort unfortunately just _had_ to merge with the ninja world as Orochimaru's ally, which would launch some complications), and now the poor boy lived with extremely revolting, normal cold-hearted relatives who went with the surname _Dursley_ and adamantly refused to believe that wizards existed...not to mention having to put up with his fat cousin Dudley, who, according to neighborhood watch from Albus' representatives, was a demanding, childish soul and constantly bullied Harry to the point where he would uncontrollably unleash surges of magic he wasn't aware he had in him.

Last time she conducted research, these Dursleys rather abused Harry and considered those of his kind as freaks, keeping him house-broken. The cruelty they exhibited was enough to report as child abuse, but five years ago Harry discovered Hogwarts. Dumbledore mentioned that he saw Hogwarts as his only home to truly live in and cherish, and the fact that Harry had made friends with wizards just like himself lightened Tsunade's concern and worry for him.

She assumed that to Harry, the Dursleys were nothing close to what he wanted as family...and because Harry Potter was technically alone, with no living blood-relatives alive, Tsunade had a clear recommendation in her mind of which Konohagakure shinobi team would take this mission, even though it wouldn't be easy_ at all_ understanding where they were going, who they were protecting and what they had to learn to protect Harry.

Withdrawing from her reverie, she smiled at Snape and folded her hands across her chest.

"Alright, and by the way, you don't need to go into details about Harry Potter Severus-san, Albus-san took care of that for you."

"I see," Severus replied, neutral to her statement.

The Godaime heaved a sigh before beginning, waving Genma and Izumo away with the flick of a hand and muttering something about them 'waiting outside'. As soon as the ninja were out of sight, Tsunade stared at Severus intently, prepared.

"The shinobi of Konohagakure no Sato are amazingly gifted with varied strengths needed to protect our village, and these shinobi are young. In fact, they're no younger than twenty years old."

"_Twenty_?," Snape said, utterly shocked. "How do you expect _children_ to protect-"

"SILENCE! I am the one speaking here, not you, Severus-san." Tsunade's raised voice made Snape flinch as he quickly caught his mistake and solemnly muttered a 'sorry', instituting a bow for respect. _But really? The fact that the ninja world raised children to become _killers_ was slightly horrifying._

"Where were we? Ah, these shinobi are not_ children_, they're the same age as Potter: fifteen to seventeen years old, to be exact. They're teenagers, and what they are capable of makes wizards look _puny_."

Snape recoiled at the word, wincing. Well, the Hokage sure had a way of shrinking her 'guests' to inferiority. And wizards were not puny! _We are also as powerful beings as shinobi, with wands and concepts, and abilities on magic HIGHLY above what anyone can comprehend! How _dare_ she imply that!_

Tsunade managed to clue in on what Snape was feeling, for her gaze suddenly softened as she shuffled scrolls on her desk. "I am sorry, Severus-san, I don't mean to insult your kind, but it's true. The Konoha 11 are the youngest, most efficient, skilled, and_ gifted_ ninja you could ever ask for...and I've known most of them myself for as long as I can remember," she said, a genuine smile on her lips.

"Anyways, you shouldn't underestimate us." The reminiscing Hokage disappeared as quickly as she came and was replaced by her previous hard and serious expression. Snape tensed, keeping his eyes locked with hers. And it was quite intimidating.

"I am sorry as well, Tsunade-sama. Harry Potter is someone who needs constant protection around the clock. He is threatened everyday, and elsewhere the dark forces of evil in our world plot to kill him, the only Potter left. I assume you know the reason behind Voldemort's sudden retreat twenty years ago? That a part of him latched onto Harry?"

Tsunade nodded, taking in the information with no delay.

Snape continued. "Harry Potter is infamous for being known as the one who defeated Voldemort, the darkest wizard of our time, on his 1st birthday, due to a prophecy made that the son of a couple who has_ defied_ the 'Dark Lord' Voldemort three times, and who will be born in July, will have the power to overthrow him for good. Voldemort considered it would be either the son of the Longbottoms, who is Neville, or Harry, the son of the Potters, both well-known wizarding families."

"Oh, okay. I see to it that Harry was born in July, the prophecy baby?"

"Yes." Tsunade's eyebrows were furrowed in concentration, struggling to piece together the information Severus was supplying with those Dumbledore had notified her of earlier.

"So this Harry boy will overthrow Voldemort? That's pretty impressive for a young wizard like him," the Hokage smirked, beginning to make sense of everything related to Potter. Actually, she knew a boy whose fate was eerily similar to his.

Snape nodded curtly, waiting to explain more to her. He didn't have much time left.

"Continue."

"And in simpler words, Voldemort attempted to kill Harry on his first birthday, unfortunately murdering both of his parents who tried to protect him. We couldn't explain, however, how the Dark Lord had simply become _so_ undefyingly weak, fleeing to the darkness and in-hiding. He only left a scar in the shape of a lightning bolt on Harry's forehead, inflicting no further damage than that, and that scar distinguished Harry Potter as the famous 'boy who lived'. Well, let's just say the story of this event in wizarding history was instantly known in the _whole_ wizarding world."

Tsunade cocked a brow up, once again thoroughly impressed by the tale of Harry. "He's famous? Wow. Yet his fame contains pitfalls, such as concealing him from those who still want him dead is dreadfully difficult, I assume?"

Snape was finally glad she could understand the light of the situation in a gratifying, orderly way. And her last statement on fame was very accurate!

"Yes, Tsunade-sama," he breathed.

The Hokage rubbed her temples, flushed from the onslaught of information. She looked at him again, alert. "Ahah, I see! Well, your Harry Potter's scenario is not so different from the life of one of my excellent Konoha 11. He may be an insufferable obnoxious idiot, but him and his team are one of the most notable shinobi teams in the Hidden Leaf Village, combined with wonderful strength in vigilance, combat, our ninja techniques..._jutsu_...and emotional preferences!"

She shuffled her papers once more, until staring at Severus intensely. "This obnoxious idiot feels exactly what Harry Potter feels. He is alone, and he has no family, besides being seen as a freak who will harm anybody. You see, the nine-tailed demon fox, or _Kyuubi_, one of the most dangerous yet elemental _bijuu_, was sealed, or tucked away safely, rather, into this idiot, by his father, the Fourth Hokage of this village."

Snape said nothing, now very interested in what the village could finally offer to him as well. Surely the elemental countries had stories of their own, yet the idiot Tsunade was speaking of immediately earned his remorse and sympathy.

"The _Kyuubi_ was going to destroy Konoha fifteen years ago, and both of his parents died to protect this village and their son, although they knew, sadly, that their son would forever be tormented by loneliness at the prospect of sealing a _monster_ inside him. This idiot is still largely affected by the trauma of his childhood...not knowing who his parents were, or what happened to them."

The Hokage paused, pointedly looking at Snape and expecting a reaction. Severus shifted slightly, swallowing his spit. "Indeed the boy experienced what Potter has experienced."

Tsunade nodded again. "Exactly, Severus-san. Since then, this boy was the container of the Kyuubi, and the nine-tails wouldn't cause danger to anybody except when the boy would feel anger, guilt...overall, negative emotions. The_ kyuubi_ is a cunning creature, and often plans to use him to his advantage. This idiot is also hunted by evil forces, just as Potter is being hunted, because the nine-tails is one of the _bijuu_ this criminal organization Akatsuki desire for power, so you have _no_ idea how hard it is to keep track of constant threats as well!"

The _Akatsuki_! Snape's eyes widened at that, making sense grow as clear as a drop in the rain. Yet this idiot housed a monster within him...a monster powerful enough to cause destruction to the whole world. He was on the verge of protesting. "But, Tsunade-sama, then if this ninja of yours has the kyuubi inside him, he wouldn't be fit to protect Ha-"

"No! This boy, from unwavering dedication to his training and determination to become the next Hokage of this village, has exercised complete control over the Kyuubi now, seeing as he is fifteen and old enough to do so, and has drastically improved in his performance as a ninja! Because of the nine-tails, Severus-san, he has an _unlimited_ chakra supply...chakra, on the other hand, is similar to what your kind calls_ magic_..."

Severus hit a note of realization as it dawned on him. No wonder he sensed amounts of magic inside the village walls he couldn't decipher: it was _chakra_, a more complex, moldable form _of_ magic, as he remembered Dumbledore explain to him.

"...and the type of fatal wounds that would have normal ninja in the hospital for weeks, or even a month, would be healed in a day for this idiot because of the_ kyuubi_. My bottom line: he also has a quite intelligent brain, seeing that I've witnessed him getting stronger and smarter in the last few years I had supervised him.

"Your Harry Potter will be, I hope, in good hands with this idiot! And his best friends, one of them he sees as his brother-that best friend has actually gone through the same things as him, no family either-are also intelligent and cunning, more so than him, though, I have to say. He's _still_ an obnoxious loud-mouthed blonde!"

Snape tilted his head, wholly entranced by the background of his idiot. As long as he could control the nine-tailed monster (what good can it possibly do if he was near Hogwarts, the students...Harry, for goodness' sake, and went around_ killing_ everybody he encountered?), 'this idiot' and his team was an acceptable 'go' to recruit as Potter's escorts. He would understand him without difficulty.

"I see. Then...who is this idiot and what shinobi team does he belong in for us to take to our world?"

Tsunade smiled a gleeful, apprehensive, and secretive grin at him, which unnerved Severus a bit, as if what she was going to say would tilt the world on its' axis.

"I will brief this team on this hazardous mission as soon as tomorrow. 'This idiot' is Uzumaki Naruto, and his best friends are Uchiha Sasuke-the one he sees as a brother, take note of that-and Haruno Sakura, my own apprentice, a medical ninja, and the...ahem...love interest of Naruto. Oh, the love interest of both males on the team, I expect."

Snape snorted inwardly. A _love_ interest? Well, wouldn't that be more appealing? "Aa. And what shinobi team, Tsunade-sama? I will report all this to Dumbledore."

Tsunade grinned once again and nodded, beaming at him. "They are Team 7."

* * *

**Donee! OMG I'm sorryyy, such a longggg prologue, if you ask me: 5,000+ words! THAT'S MY LONGEST CHAPTER YET! D': Well, I needed to put in some key details in there so it clears some questions any of you might have down the road...and I hoped that didn't suck! TOO LONG? Tell me what you think! Good, bad, horrible, icky, etcetera? Thank you soo much, and please reviewww!**

**xyama-chanx xoxo**

***Ni kuru - **come in**  
**


	2. Unsuspected Turns

**Okay, so here's chapter one—and yep, I've done a whole load of editing and proofreading in this one (I wrote this _two years ago_, so there was no knowing how rusty or weird my English was then hahaha XD) And I separated blinding paragraphs into, like, _way_ smaller ones, gosh. Before this was edited, I had to run through everything, so I hope it's alright! Let me know if I need improvement or tell me what you think about whether I should continue this or not! THANK YOU so much, everyone!**

**Cookies, xYama-chanx**

* * *

And there, amidst the sudden glare of morning sunlight flooding through the tall windows, a baffled, amused and confused Haruno Sakura, was slowly scratching her eyelids from fatigue; her back was slightly bent.

Her green-emerald eyes seemed dull and lacking lustre, while her vivid pink hair fell in perfect strands around her face, framing her delicate complexion and features.

Beside her, Uzumaki Naruto slumped, extremely tired. The feelings of a morning rush overwhelmed him, and his hands were perched atop his neck. Letting out a brief yawn, his spiky yellow hair was highlighted by red-crimson streaks protruding from the windows, which were wide open and showed an elegant view of the village.

The sky took its' time forming into a piercing cerulean blue—the same shade as Naruto's round eyes, and so the two members of Team 7 stood before the Godaime's crammed office. However, Sakura and her teammate looked pretty peeved. _Why would Tsunade-sama bother calling them _this _early, and on the day after a completed mission? _

Endless stacks of papers, documents, books and Konohagakure history cascaded down in sheets onto the rough cement floor of Tsunade's abode. Everything was an utmost mess.

They were scattered almost everywhere throughout the circular walls of the place, that the two shinobi began to ponder on about whether the Hokage has been up to her endless nights of mission briefings and the overwhelming class rank fees—or she was searching for long forgotten files within the heart of the Hidden Leaf Village.

It was _so_ messy for once that Naruto and Sakura didn't even bother to be in their original positions, which were now overshadowed by scary piles of _more _red-green books, threatening to topple over on them any second now.

"Tsunade-_sama,_" Sakura breathed, as she prepared herself to complain to the fiery-willed Head of Medical Nins, who was sitting comfortably in her desk, with extra lined documents in hand as she calmly sipped a small cup of green tea, her dirty-blonde hair tied in neat ponytails behind her head as usual. Her bangs swayed in the gentle breeze of the early morning, while her brown eyes were fixed on the reading material, not once looking up from it.

"What?" Tsunade replied sharply, finally glancing up from her paper and setting down tea cup to bear into Sakura's orbs.

"Did you _have_ to call us so early?" she whined, moving her arms in an attempt to loosen her stiff muscles from the impact of yesterday's mission.

"YEAH! We just came back, and we need rest!" Naruto yelped suddenly, fists clenched, loudly agreeing to his teammate's statement. He nodded hard at the Hokage, whose hands settled on top of her lap.

" Yes, I did-"—at that, Naruto 'awww'-ed in a childish way, which she gladly ignored—"-and the outcome of it proves sufficiently _crucial_," she continued, shifting the two shinobi's attention at the mention of the last word.

"Crucial? What is it then, Hokage-sama?" Sakura asked slowly, a tense edge rising in her voice as she said it. It was clear that this _mission_, or whatever Tsunade threw their way, might be quite difficult to accomplish, but with Naruto coming as well, then it would be even _more_ difficult. Sakura rolled her eyes, pink tinting her cheeks. _Who _knows_ what the baka will do?_

The Fifth shuffled around a few other files from the wobbly stacks beside her, placing five or so on her desk eagerly for close examination.

"I found that Orochimaru has yet discovered another ally along with his schemes and apprentices. He seemed so overprotective about it that he refused to supply information, which is unknown at the moment, although he was surrounded by a mere third of our ANBU," she slowly snarled, absorbed in the cruelty of the Snake Sannin's intentions. Naruto and Sakura wore such hard expressions on their faces that Tsunade could tell they were deeply bothered by _him_.

"_But-_," she quickly added, which earned a jerk from Team 7. They stared at her intensely for so long, waiting, that Tsunade actually thought her eyes would burn up hadn't she glanced down again.

"-Uchiha Sasuke has offered to join you two on this mission—equivalent to an S-ranked one. If it goes wrong...there's no knowing what serious danger to the village _and _the rest of the world this could release."

They got the message that the mission was, in two words: life-death, but Sakura nearly choked on her own saliva at their ex-teammate's name. Naruto's reaction, on the other hand, was definitely not surprising.

His eyes grew so big that Tsunade saw sparkles of happiness, unfortunately accompanied by hints of anger, in the core of Naruto's being. Soon enough, the pair of ninjas gazed at each other in shock, their sluggishness quickly forgotten. Sympathy beamed across the Hokage's lips, pleased. _She thought of these kids as her own, and now the last member of their 'family' has returned._

"I-It _can't_ be...," Sakura whispered hoarsely, a part of her erupting to life with a warmth she couldn't identify—an emotion never felt since he left them...since he _betrayed_ them, and turned his back on them seeking for power, with a horrifying aura actually convincing the two that the Uchiha was permanently lost in darkness.

"Sasuke, is he really coming with us?" she said, muting out her tone a little as she discovered her cheeks flushed a deep shade of pink. It's been such a long while since she said his name that the feel of it on her tongue was tingly.

Naruto simply stood, speechless at Tsunade and spreading this strange warmth around everyone present. The silly grin plastered on his face didn't disappear, either. Tsunade nodded, still smiling fully, but then the whole tears of the moment disappeared as she explained another matter related to the task.

"As you all know, however, Sasuke is still on probation right now, so if he ever tries to lift a finger on the village ever again—or might as well commit anything as dangerous as his actions were when he was leader of Team _Taka_-," Team 7 cringed at the name...and the bad memories involving a stupid red-head wench, "-he would be sentenced to impromptu death as quick as you can say 'bye', whatever the circumstances may turn out. Understand?" the Hokage said once more, completely stern.

Naruto and Sakura's emotions were replaced instantly by pain. They understood the deal, alright, but they were still shivering inwardly just thinking about Sasuke _dead. No way were they going to let that happen._

Yet it made complete sense to the hyper Uzumaki, for it was he who encountered the Uchiha, his best buddy and pal, soon after he was captured. It was he who spat and swore right in front of the pretty boys' face for everything bloody he's done—for how much everyone felt as if their hearts were wrenched_ right_ out of their chests in his absence.

At least Naruto knocked some reason into Sasuke's mind never to abandon them again.

_"We CARE for you teme, you hear me? I don't give a freaking damn if you try to beat me again, but_ _if you_ leave AGAIN, _I'm gonna punch the lights out of you!"_

_"Hn."_

_"Jeez, still the same old ice cube I've known. And I thought from the start you've severed bonds with us 'cause we_ interfered_ in your so-called goal to 'destroy a certain someone', hahaha."_

_"Shut it, dobe."_

"All right then, it must be time for the mission preparation...and you just might have the chance to greet your teammate welcome back," she said, smirking brightly at Naruto and Sakura.

The pinkette immediately looked amused and excited, for she was now walking around the round office, oblivious to the stacks of papers surrounding her. A fire bubbled in the pit of her gut, nervous as hell in meeting the man she'd always loved for 3 years.

_"Sakura. Thank you...for everything."_

Tsunade's voice broke her reverie: a string of wonderful and awfully clear memories with Sasuke.

"Well, will it be best if I bring him in? We're running out of time, if you ask me," Tsunade muttered impatiently. Her tone was so dark both of the shinobi feared it, so the Haruno rushed back to the Jinchuuriki's side, who was grinning sheepishly at her as soon as she realized that the idiot had tried to wrap his strong arms around Sakura, trying to make her think_ he _was the Uchiha. Psh, like that would ever happen.

To Naruto's surprise Sakura held it all in; she gave him a crooked smile in return, scared out of his wits. _Those eyes of hers when she gets angry...it's_ so_ freaky!_

"Sorry, Sakura," he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck as he always does.

With a loud clearing of the throat, Tsunade slammed the red intercom button hard on her desk and the reception snapped and buzzed, making Shizune's voice audible enough for everyone in the vicinity to hear.

"Yes, Hokage-sama?"

"Bring in Uchiha Sasuke right now. Tell him we're in here, ready to brief him with details about the mission."

Shizune replied with a squeaky 'Yes ma'am' and her line was cut off at once, with Naruto and Sakura knowing she was on her way with a group of ANBU to escort her to Sasuke's _probation _quarters.

Tsunade sighed as she rubbed the edge of her eyes with a red-manicured hand.

"I'm getting too old for this. Now...," she intervened, soon sounding as tired as a glum Team 7 was 20 minutes ago.

"One of our old friends and allies of the village will be arriving soon to brief you two as well on the requirements—and restrictions—of this mission. And also, he happens to be Headmaster, which is similar to the status of _Hokage _in our culture, at_ Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_ in Britain, which could be very appealing to our kind as soon as you travel there. He knows aplenty about Orochimaru's whereabouts and activities and may manage to fill you in on everything else. "

"BRITAIN? WIZARDRY?" Naruto yelled, his face screwed up in curiosity and excitement. He bobbed up and down like he had just ate thirty bowls of ramen. Another whack to the head didn't stop him, however.

"_Itai_, Sakura-chan! But w-why..._Britain_, of all places? Is this country kind of like Konoha?"

"Baka." The Haruno hissed at him, but to no avail he continued babbling on. Really, it wouldn't hurt at all to put a sock in it...not that he would, though. _If he did, let's just say there was an alien invasion on the rise._

Tsunade rubbed her temples, groaning. "No, Naruto, it's far from that! Britain is not...a hidden continent, like ours. It's connected to the outside world, way beyond the boundaries of the hidden lands we live in. You could say you'll be roaming among the norm of human beings."

That threw Naruto off-guard. "Uh, _norm_...?", he trailed off, staring blankly at Tsunade-sama now.

Sakura stomped her foot in frustration. "Will you ever get it? She means real human beings—_normal_ people like the villagers, idiot!"

"Ohhh."

The Godaime detected that Team 7 was scanning over the facts repeatedly in their heads, attempting to piece together all of it. Sakura's lips took on the form of an 'o', while Naruto's bright eyebrows were furrowed in concentration. Biting back the urge to laugh, they looked so _lost _at her explanation. Thankfully they would no longer be confused as soon as they found out everything—and of course these facts were just the start of it.

A pregnant silence filled the room until it was broken again by Naruto's incessant talking. Sakura, on the other hand, was already looking miserable being with him. Instead she stroke her hair absent-mindedly, staring at Naruto.

"How about the people at this Pigwarts-"

"Hogwarts!"

"-Whatever—are they normal people? And 'School of Wizardry'...don't tell me they're wizards! Are they really magical, like Merlin?"

"*_Chikusho_, Naruto, stop with the questions!"

The Hokage had to put a large amount of thought into this. It was rather hard to explain the concept of existing wizards they were assigned to protect—most importantly 'the Boy who Lived'—to these two shinobi, who had _no _knowledge whatsoever of magic, wands and incantations. For goodness' sake, they've seen death and blood; they kill! They use weapons, jutsus; physical and mental abilities! In the brains of a ninja, wizards were simply mythical persons as the Ninja Academy has taught them. They existed only in the depths of imagination, and their magic was something of a shockingly more complex type of chakra...consistent, flexible chakra.

Well, from this minute onwards, the experiences they will have would be going entirely against that belief, and Tsunade was certain Naruto and Sakura were mature enough to handle it...hopefully. She looked pointedly at the blonde, giving in.

"Oh, how do I explain it? In a way, yes, but the citizens of Britain are divided into two classified groups: muggles and wizards."

"*_Sugoi!_ So they actually EXIST? That's so cool—but what's a muggle?" There goes the utter opposite of their ninja belief.

"Naruto!"

She exhaled, pinching the bridge of her nose as she tried to relieve the stress building up from how insistent the obnoxious Uzumaki was, and Tsunade assumed it would be very wise to leave all the explanations to their guest! That would save a lot of strength, besides her voice.

"Enough, you two!" Slamming her hand on the wooden desk was a signal to seriously stop the commotion. Naruto and Sakura jumped, frozen mid-movement lunging towards him, and so did as they were told, snapping back to their respectable postures. Sakura didn't peel her burning glare off of Naruto though, but their lips were sealed shut.

Tsunade glanced at the wall clock perched above the doorway of her office, breaking the sudden tension within.

"Coming soon, now...and Naruto, I want you to behave when our visitor arrives. Knowing a brat like you could spoil our entire reputation," she snapped, clearing the files on her desk for new ones. Said person straightened at this.

"No, I'm not a _brat _anymore! That was me two and a half years ago, _Obaa-chan_. Really, I'm no longer one!" the Uzumaki complained, his hands tightly folded over his chest the way a pouting, stubborn child would approve of.

Beside her, Sakura scowled at him, apparently more annoyed at her blonde companion than ever. How embarrassing it would be if ever the idiot suddenly blabbed about their undercover positions...and hell would he get an earful out of Tsunade-sama as soon as they returned, with their mission status officially labeled: _Failed_.

Sakura shuddered, shaking the scene out of her conscience. She had to convince herself it better not, throwing Naruto a cold, sidelong look.

"You ARE a brat, and I swear I'll punch you out of your brains if you don't fix up and call Hokage-sama Obaa-chan _again_, Naruto! UNDERSTAND?" she yelled, gripping his black-orange suit tight around her fist, glaring into the face of a horrified Uzumaki.

Clearly, Baa-chan rose a carbon copy of herself...a Tsunade Junior. This made Naruto shiver at the fact that if he married the beautiful Sakura, he would probably be yelling maniacally right now while she's most likely directing her anger at his idiotic schemes. _Gawd, no._

Ugh. However Naruto knew well enough that his very own Sakura-chan wasn't like that...right?

He nodded again, adoration seconds ago replaced by fear in his eyes.

Sakura smirked, pleased that her temper should have squeezed all the duck fat out of Naruto's brain. She dusted herself off as the Legendary member of the Sannin remained still, observing their presence in silence.

"Ah, ten minutes more, and the Headmaster should be here," she mentioned, attracting Naruto and Sakura's wonder at the fascination of the mission, the location—all of it. The blonde teenager, wiping off the goofy, clueless expression from his face, strode closer to Tsunade, suddenly serious.

"Then, Hokage-_sama, _if Sasuke-teme _does _pull a close one on us, you'd...uh...kill him right on the spot?," he slowly asked, carefully choosing his choice of words. Naruto was an idiot, but he knew when something was deadly serious; a matter not to laugh about...yet again, you couldn't really expect the dobe to retain that kind of behavior _all the time_.

Sakura paused then at Naruto's question, all the fury and anger draining out of her. She glanced curiously at Naruto, to Tsunade-sama and back again. Pursing her lips in confusion, Sakura laid a hand on her hip, giving his statement some consideration. _Che, as if it needs one._

The kunoichi opened her mouth to protest when a strong gust of wind blew all the papers in various directions, some gliding out of the windows in pairs and a few others stuck in between the dark spaces of the cabinets and shelves.

A single pile of heavy books finally toppled over with deafening thuds, while Sakura and Naruto managed to dodge the flying documents, at least in hopeless attempts to avoid close calls with paper cuts, which were actually very painful it was ridiculous (definitely small but terrible).

"Aaii!" Uzumaki yelped as a heavyweight book nearly crushed his foolish head. The Haruno managed to pin about three more books with kunai just in time, falling to the floor with a crash until she spotted an unbelievable view in her left peripheral vision.

Sakura gawked, her gaze fixated on the mysterious, sparkling oval of light now opening in a completely blank area of green wall. Naruto darted to her side and closed his hand on Sakura's arm, while Tsunade stood up too, shaking her long green robes in place and preparing herself for a vigorous first impression.

The wind continued to blow, growing rougher as an unexpected body part made its' way through the brilliant streaks of blue-white light. Soon enough, a shoe clad in brown leather stepped out of the flurry, with a long hem studded with sequins peeking out from where it was visible as the foot touched solid ground.

Naruto and Sakura stared, terrified and fascinated at the same time, when that single foot quickly extended into a panted leg and was swiftly followed by a fairly real sleeved arm, diamonds and various colored stitches standing out vividly among the black color of what seemed like fabric-woven robes.

Tsunade gestured a waving hand to the now _full _body before them, as the mini circular oval closed into a teensy narrow tunnel, further dispersing into thin air.

The flakes of glitter remaining of the tunnel disappeared in such a way that told Team 7 the male must have used a genjutsu, but it was impossible to think of a _foreigner_ capable of performing ninja art.

What _was _this all about? Clearly among their speculations, Naruto and Sakura were _still_ downright confused, but little did they know that they were both in for a marvelous treat—although they doubted the mission would be easy to accomplish.

"Haruno Sakura and Uzumaki Naruto...and Uchiha Sasuke I presume who will arrive later...this is Albus Dumbledore, _Headmaster_ of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, who holds a special position as the one of the most powerful wizards of their time—and a former member of the 'First Class Order of Merlin'," she proudly announced, and the so-named Albus in front of them was beaming, a warm smile on his lips.

First class_ order of _MERLIN_? _Naruto had nothing to say, yet within...it's as if a sugar bomb had just exploded in his stomach.

"O-oh, uh, _hellu, *Arubus...sama_," Sakura stuttered, blushing from the embarrassment of her thick accent. Her tone was shrill and squeaky, and Sakura desperately wished she was anywhere else other than here; with a powerful _gakujin _in their midst!

They observed him quickly from head to toe, eager to absorb all of his features for future reference in their mission. He seemed especially kind and nice, with the glimmering sparkle in his eyes stirring buzzes of security on their skin...as if he would keep them _safe. Now that is _weird_._

Unique half-moon spectacles were perched on his nose, an object one such ninja never seemed to lay eyes on, but in Dumbledore's situation it was quite acceptable—and added a shot of charm to the old man's appearance, along with the long, graying beard and white hair flowing past his shoulders.

Naruto quickly became as curious as a newborn child was, in awe at how he could glimpse his reflection in those glasses by sticking his head up and down at certain angles, seeking for an answer, while Sakura loudly 'tsk'-ed beside him.

"Whoa, _sugoi_...," Naruto whispered, amazed. But he stood to attention again after Tsunade sent him a threatening glare.

For some reason Sakura felt a sudden surge of comfort as soon as she laid her eyes on Dumbledore. Surely he wasn't just any ordinary _old man._

Focusing her natural instincts as a ninja mentally on the Headmaster, she detected massive amounts of chakra flow within his robes, the elderly's clothes, and any other layer concealing his chakra control—as she had learnt before—known as _magic_.

"Eh, unbelievable...," Sakura murmured, her gaze unfaltering.

Overall, she was surprised. Excitement swirled in the pit of her stomach, which was stimulated the instant Albus Dumbledore arrived.

Slowly withdrawing from her chakra detection, she folded her hands in a puppy-cute look, catching Naruto's stare. For a moment he thought he would faint at his crush's_ kawaii_ expression, but soon the elder approached them with an unexplainable warmth emanating from him—a loving, gentle aura oddly similar to the Third Hokage's.

They gazed up at the bearded man in pure innocence, yet it was also clear that Naruto just couldn't wait for the Uchiha any longer, so he motioned from his position to Tsunade by flailing his arms around carelessly. She ignored the Uzumaki once again.

A sharp jab in the ribs inflicted by Sakura's elbow made Naruto cower as he clutched his abdomen, grinding his teeth together in an effort to not mind the searing pain, but he was sure that area would be an ugly black and purple bruise soon enough.

"Hehehe...eh, gomenasai, Sakura-chan," he told her, embarrassed. By now, it was obvious Sakura was _trying_ her best to hold back her temper, even in front of the elderly Wizard. _A dumb-ass can figure that out._

On cue, the oak doors of the office slammed open, and the atmosphere was ironically charged with tension at who had just come.

Naruto and Sakura whipped their heads towards the entrance where a dark, impassive teenage boy stood, surrounded by three ANBU Black Ops.

Dumbledore smiled, analyzing the stranger he had somehow encountered before. By then he suddenly felt inept and troubled at this, doubt and discomfort hovering over the young man's arrival. It couldn't possibly be the _apprentice _of Voldemort's foreign ally, did it?

If it was him—which should be impossible—then the raven-haired boy must be even five levels stronger than the state Dumbledore last saw him in now, meaning: he _could _murder approximately a hundred civilians with one stroke, yet the uneasiness in the old man's mind wasn't enough to quench the positive energy radiating from the ninjas.

Feeling as if her barging in on the meeting was rude, Shizune hastily bowed to the Hokage and scurried out of the room with Tonton the pig in her arms, while the masked Anbu disappeared in puffs of smoke. _"How come they _never _use the damn door?" _Tsunade thought, twitching.

And there, the Uchiha kept his vision locked on the ground, avoiding the intense stares of his ex-teammates for a bit.

It was enigmatic to them right now for Sasuke to just be standing there, lacking the egotistical pride he once had, that Naruto and Sakura began to wonder if he _really_, without a doubt, changed.

Tsunade stepped forward, the clicking of her heels echoing around the four people, including the Headmaster.

Throwing Sasuke a cautious, fiery stare, she walked over to Dumbledore's side, green robes billowing behind her. The Hokage was ready for it.

"This...is Uchiha Sasuke. Sasuke, this is Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of the wizardry school you'll be traveling to: _Hogwarts_," she said, gesturing towards the said ninja. _Does Albus still recognize him?_

"_Konnichiwa_, Arubus-sama," Sasuke said, his voice cool and low. His teammates, as predicted, jumped with a start at that perfect greeting.

Sakura resisted the urge to look away from Sasuke as he ever so slowly raised his head, his hair so black it appeared blue in the light. She let out a short gasp as Naruto clenched his fists at him.

Eager to observe her childhood attachment, Sakura's gaze took in nothing that wasn't Sasuke, her skin beginning to glow.

He still had that pale, porcelain skin (which was swoon-worthy), but it was now tinged with gray.

_Supposedly from fatigue,_she suggested, thoughts floating in her mind. _He tired himself out from the killing...the Sharingan...the _Susanoo..._the..._Amaterasu!

Sakura struggled to erase the old Sasuke from her head—the dark, indescribable Sasuke full of vengeance, terror and revenge._ I thought I_ lost_ him!_

His eyes—oh, those onyx orbs of eyes—warily lingered on Naruto for a while, and aside from that, Sakura knew that he now possessed sparkles of life in those orbs. He wasn't trapped in the darkness anymore. He had finally emerged into the light, and Sakura was feeling an emotion no one could explain properly.

Sasuke's face was emphasized greatly by the bangs that fell seductively along his cheekbones, the frame of his chin, the angular jawline of his flawless face...they all stood out, and Sakura smiled sweetly, reassuring herself this wasn't a dream. She _still _couldn't believe the irrevocable fact that Uchiha Sasuke was back.

"_Maybe he _did _change...,"_ she whispered, entranced by the familiarity and memories flooding back to her in waves. The noisy blonde darted to Sasuke's side, who was giving him an annoyed smirk.

Therefore, cerulean clashed with onyx.

"Welcome back, Sasuke-teme!" Naruto yelled, wrapping a tight arm around his neck. Sasuke was truly taken aback by his best friend's outburst, no joke about that...and there goes the _-teme_ honorific again. He rolled his eyes, smiling ever so slightly.

"Hn," Sasuke replied, his voice also still silky and deep. Sakura couldn't hide an enormous grin and a gigantic squealing, blushing fangirl inside her years ago by doing a move in the most unlady-like way: _glomping_ on the Uchiha

"Agh!" Sasuke grunted as Sakura hugged him tightly, her slender arms gripping his upper body. Naruto's arm was now painfully cut off of blood circulation by Sakura's hand, so in front of Tsunade and Dumbledore, Team 7 seemed like a tangled web of arms and bodies.

"Ahh—itaiii, Sakura-_chan_...," he whimpered, beads of sweat forming under Naruto's hairline. He shifted his feet in an effort to wriggle free out of Sakura's hold, but the kunoichi stayed oblivious, and Uzumaki's face was now flushed a funny shade of red.

"Dobe."

"_Teme_."

"Dobe."

"TEME."

"STOP it, Naruto!" Sakura bonked Uzumaki's head, hard, with a gloved fist. Thank goodness she didn't infuse that looming fist with chakra, or else Naruto would have suffered fractures in his skull!

The Fifth chuckled, folding her arms. Dumbledore merely smiled, touched by the closeness and tenderness of the sight of three teammates reunited at last, although it was hilarious at the moment, too.

_So _Uchiha Sasuke_ is their missing link...Orochimaru's apprentice. Those three children remind me of Potter, Granger and Weasley, it is uncanny. Wait until they meet their mirror selves: the Golden Trio at our school. _

Tsunade then turned to the old Auror, whose eyes were twinkling. "Now, may we begin, Professor?" she said in perfect spoken English, traces of an accent completely undetectable. This immediately caught Team 7's attention. The Hokage didn't even make use of a translation jutsu!

Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura returned to their modest positions and shot the Hokage sheepish, unnaturally wide grins aside from the Uchiha, whose face was emotionless as usual per se. _Thank *Kami, Uchiha's back indeed. _

"We're listening, Tsunade-sama," Sakura said, aware that Dumbledore _must_ be hearing Japanese as they spoke, unless he cast a type of translation or language-altering 'spell' similar to the make-up of the shinobi's technique—or, he simply could have studied Japanese in the traditional manner: read dictionaries, practice sentences—the manual method.

_God, this is so complicated. Then we have to learn genuine _wizard _spells once we get to Britain,_Sakura thought, appalled at the very thought of muttering spells in a language which was not their native tongue. _Who knows what might happen if anything went wrong?_

"You better be listening, for we're running short," Tsunade snarled under her breath, making the three shinobi tremble. Turning to Dumbledore, she pretended to smile warmly at him as she showed him a place to sit by her desk.

"No need to bother, Tsunade," the wizard waved her off,"It is better when I'm standing. An old man can still manage around his frail figure," Dumbledore chuckled, looking at Team 7 and acknowledging them, nodding. They bowed back in respect as they kept on with the stares.

_"Who _is_ this man? Does he know Orochimaru?" _Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke thought in unison and bewilderment, the fragments of information in their minds continuously piecing themselves together.

They were about to find out, and this mission briefing might just be one of the longest they have ever attended.

* * *

**LOL ok, so nothing much happened in this chapter, sorrryy! Maybe think of this chapter as a little introduction to our Konoha main characters. Well, it's obvious anyways :3 **

**And just to make sure, but Tsunade-sama is **_**Senju**_** Tsunade, right—the granddaughter of Senju Hashirama? Sorry! This little piece of information just might be relevant later on ;D**

**In the meantime, pleasee review! ^^**

**Chikusho – **damn it

**Sugoi – **awesome

**Kami –** God

**Gakujin –** foreigner

**Arubus** – 'Albus'. Sakura and company are obviously Japanese (hehe duh), and I know how their accents sound so they would pronounce his name as 'arubus' instead XD

**xyama-chanx xoxo**


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